My favorite sage once told me "better look out" else you won't "see" :-) This is a wanderer's wanderlust !!, an attempt to navigate through the omnipresent urban blindness, albeit without any kind compass, and yet, inadvertently and magically, stumble upon the ever elusive truth.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Yesterday someone was telling me that “your son shall one day take pride in what you have made of yourself.”.

That triggered a brief bout (and spout) of introspection….a “peg me against the other boys (and girls too…just that the figure of expression does not sound cool!!)” exercise.

I am part of a baby boomer generation – where almost all of us have heard from their parents – how we have had it far easier than them – and how they feel they did the best they could.

And the baby boomer generation in turn is telling the same rut to their little tots – “when we were growing up, there was no television and such a plethora of toys”(never mind the fact that the toys we currently buy “you” are lead infused Chinese WMDs – the lead will eventually “addle up your CPUs” enough to make anything more than opening the door, a “complex activity”.)

Get the drift?

Each generation is trying to pass a baton of “conflict and pent up repressed wants” to the next…..almost surreptitiously.

Now put the “your son should be proud of you” in that context.

Why? Just because I worked my way up to be some middle management flunkey at a typical everyday corporate wormhole (nothing wrong with wormholes per se….especially if you nilly willy choose to inhabit them consciously!!)

If there are a few things I would remind my son constantly, it shall be: 1. Life offers you a few cheap thrills (read opportunities). Make the most of it…especially if they are in the area where you want to excel. 2. Choose the “area” and play hard. If you are at an Investment Bank, choose to be a trader….not enough to be just another keyboard puncher….keyboard punchers never make CEOs…..revenue earners do. 3. If “keyboard punching” is your “chosen life”….then join a BPO…at least you will make CEO after 30 years. 4. If you do want to write a book or do something as an individual….then do it on the grand level playing field….no use being a bloody Chetan Bhagat, a la someone, whose books wont past muster with anyone with an IQ more than a moron. 5. We only live once….ceaseless desire for excellence and “personal pre-eminence” should be hardwired into “your” head. 6. Choose a “personal greatness” and then relentlessly pursue it…..almost like a doped android mercenary.

Is this post meandering?

Nope. As I introspected on the first comment….it all came back to me. My life, which is now passing its prime….has been dogged by me constantly and shamelessly compromising on my “personal greatness”, and I definitely don’t want myself to be a role model to any kid. I have not made good any of the “cheap thrills” life offered me….infact I might have systematically squandered it.

A few months ago, I have decided to rebaseline life….and try and be a better man…at least I don’t want the next decade to be another “lost one”.

Meanwhile….back to the bloody game …. “listen little kid”….I am incredible, I am legend, I am rockstar….blah blah….in short I am the nearest competitor to big brother upstairs

"My kick the bucket" list

** 1. Scale Everest.** 2. Bike down to Leh3. Publish a work of fiction.** 4. Run a 42k Marathon.5. Do a 3 month Vipaasna course6. Motor down to Leh7. Visit the Golden Temple8. Watch a Roger Waters Concert9. Write a book of poems (not necessarily publish)

(** refers to items which the defeatist in me feels I shall never achieve.....)